The son of former NFL running back Darick Holmes and the brother of 2015 Arizona commitment Darick Holmes Jr., Darnay Holmes will join his brother at Newbury Park High School in Thousand Oaks, California, this year after playing as a freshman at Oaks Christian School in Westlake Village, California.

Johnson and Holmes visited Clemson in the spring. While they didn't return for the Dabo Swinney Football Camp last month as they had originally planned, they could return again – one day for good, because each considers the Tigers to be legitimate players in his recruitment.

"I like the tradition that they're building now," Johnson Jr. said. "I like the coach, Dabo Swinney – he's a really good coach. I like Jeff Scott, the receivers coach. Sammy Watkins is my favorite player right now, so that really helped. And I like Tajh Boyd. I just like the school overall, so we went over there and visited, and they offered."

Keyshawn Johnson Sr. – Big Key, as Holmes and others who know them both call him – starred at Southern Cal before being selected No. 1 overall by the New York Jets in the 1996 draft. And Mission Viejo High has several ties to the Trojans. Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Mark Sanchez starred at Southern Cal after playing at Mission Viejo for coach Bob Johnson, who remains at the school leading the Diablos. And Johnson is assisted by his sons Bret and Rob, another former Southern Cal quarterback who went on to the NFL.

"The thing is a lot of people think it's USC, USC, USC, but my dad tells me every single time a coach talks to me, 'Just because I went to USC, don't think that you have to go there. Go to the school where you think you're going to go to the next level and compete, do what you have to do,' " Johnson Jr. said. "He tells me to do what I think is right for myself."

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound receiver is trying to figure that out. He's scheduled to visit Tennessee in two weeks, and he's not shying away from the thought of leaving sunny Southern California to play college ball. He's considering majoring in computer technology and business.

"I wouldn't say I have a top five. It's kind of early. But Clemson is definitely a favorite along with Ohio State, Tennessee, UCLA and Cal," Johnson Jr. said. "USC is up there a little. I couldn't say a top five yet because I have three more years and I haven't fully seen all the schools. I'm just going off with what I've seen.

"I plan to visit back to Clemson, but I'm not sure when. Clemson is a great school. The community, the atmosphere, the climate, the coaches – everything was a thumbs-up. Nothing made me want to say, 'Clemson is this' or 'Clemson is that.' The only thing I wanted to say is Clemson is a great school, and I'd be blessed to go there one day."

Holmes, meanwhile, is remaining open, too. He plays for a 7-on-7 team coached by Keyshawn Sr., who accompanied both players on their visits to Clemson and Ohio State in April.

Arizona, UCLA, California, Tennessee, Louisville, Colorado State, Mississippi State and UCLA are among Holmes' offers, and more figure to follow. The 5-foot-11, 180-pound cornerback and receiver is considered one of the top athletes in the nation in the 2017 class, and he doesn't consider himself a lock to follow his brother to Arizona.

"I don't really have a list of who I like the best, but it'll all play out on academics and how their football system is – will they be in the hunt for the BCS championship?" said Holmes, who plans to major in business or a related field. "Clemson is a very nice school. Clemson is going to be a big possibility for me. It's all going to be up to my parents, if they're going to be willing to take that flight for every game. We've never had that talk. They just keep on telling me to stay humble and keep focused on the books. All the football stuff will work out in the long run."